Almond Praline Cake ( Cakes and Pastries Recipe)
by Tarla Dalal

23 Aug 2012

This recipe has been viewed 98807 times

A spongy cake with a crunchy texture, this looks as if it is covered in translucent gold if you use chikki instead of praline!

Almond Praline Cake ( Cakes and Pastries Recipe) recipe - How to make Almond Praline Cake ( Cakes and Pastries Recipe)

Method
For the praline

For the praline

Melt the sugar in a pan on a slow flame.
Carefully take a little sugar syrup with the laddle, place it on your thumb, press your index finger against it and check if you get a 1-string consistency. If so, then syrup is ready and if not, then continue cooking , while stirring continuously till you get a 1-string consistency.
Once it has melted, add the coarsely ground cashewnuts and mix well to make the praline.
Grease a flat rolling board with a little oil.
Pour the mixture on the greased flat surface and roll it with the greased rolling pin so as to get a thin layer. Do not touch the praline at this point as it will be really hot and can cause serious burns.
To make small triangles, cut parallel lines at a distance of 25 mm. (1") with the help of a knife or a metal dough cutter.
Then cut the praline diagonally to form a triangle. Make 6 such triangles and keep aside.
Crush the remaining praline coarsely with a rolling pin. Keep aside.

For the cake

Slice the sponge cake horizontally into 2 equal parts. Keep aside.
Combine the plain butter cream icing, food colour and almond essence in a bowl and mix well using a wooden spoon. Keep ¼ cup of butter cream icing aside for the decoration.
Soak the bottom layer of the sponge cake with ½ the soaking syrup.
Spread ½ cup of butter cream icing on the soaked layer of the cake.
Sprinkle a little crushed praline on top and sandwich with the second layer of the sponge cake.
Soak the second layer of the cake with the remaining soaking syrup and spread the remaining butter cream icing cream evenly on top and at the sides.
Transfer the cake onto a cake board and refrigerate for 20 minutes to set.

Finish the cake

Place the cake on a turntable and run a pastry comb along the sides.
Fill the plastic disposable piping bag fitted with a no. 5 star nozzle with the butter cream icing. Hold the piping bag in your hand and move your wrist anti-clockwise while applying gentle pressure to make a swirl.
Finish the circle and gently lift it in a single motion to form a peak.
Repeat to make 6 swirls on top of the cake.
Using the crushed praline, decorate the centre and the base of the cake.
Place 1 praline triangle on each swirl.
Cut into 6 equal wedges and serve

Handy tip

For the butter cream icing, sieve 1 cup icing sugar and add 2tsp chopped lemon rind to it and keep aside. Cream 3/4 cup of icing margarine using a wooden spoon till it is light and smooth and gradually, add the sieved icing sugar and lemon rind and cream till all the icing sugar is added. Mix well a

Nutrient values per cake